The Mountaintop

Forty-one years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these prophetic words at a church in Memphis. TN:
Less than 24 hours after delivering this speech, the civil rights leader was assassinated. King had been receiving death threats after publicly declaring his opposition to the war in Vietnam and in this speech, you can clearly see the toll these threats were taking on him. You can hear King’s struggle to come to terms with his own mortality.
Now, more than ever, it is important to look reflect on King’s legacy and how far we’ve come since 1968. In 2009, we inaugurated the first African American President of the United States; in King’s day, this would have been inconceivable.
After losing the New Hampshire primary last year, Obama referenced “The Mountaintop” in his concession speech, saying:
“It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
“Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.”
In true remix fashion, Will.I.Am took “The Mountaintop” to the next level, mashing up Obama’s speech with celebrity musicians and personalities. Take a listen, and notice the reference to King towards the end:

On this day, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the incredible contributions he made to the great cannon of American History.

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